The tension in the tailor's shop cracked like glass under pressure.
Raphael's hand shot up and seized Lancelot by the throat, his eyes igniting with a fierce golden light to match Lancelot's own.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Raphael growled.
The two knights stood like titans in a silent war, their hands tightening around each other's throats, eyes blazing with mutual fury. Their muscles tensed like drawn bows, and for a breathless moment, it looked as if blood would be spilled.
Then Jack stepped between them.
"Enough!" he barked, shoving them apart with both arms. The moment he did, both let go, their hands dropping reluctantly. Raphael's eyes slowly dimmed, but Lancelot's still glowed bright gold, his chest heaving with barely restrained rage.
Jack, trying to bring reason into the room, spoke cautiously.
"Lancelot… he's right. If it wasn't for Joshua, we wouldn't have spoken to Zain. Maybe James would still be alive..."
But Jack never got to finish.
Lancelot's fist smashed into his face like a hammer. The force sent Jack tumbling to the ground, crashing against the wall with a sickening thud. He groaned, holding his bleeding mouth.
"You call yourself Joshua's friend?" Lancelot thundered, stepping toward him. "You're nothing but a rat. I should kill you."
He looked wild, golden eyes blazing, fists clenched like steel.
"Enough!!!" Raphael roared, stepping between them again. "We all have different opinions about Joshua. But none of us trust him like you do, Lancelot. So let's stop talking about him."
Silence fell like an iron curtain. Lancelot's eyes slowly faded back to normal as he stood there, fists trembling. The tension lingered in the air like smoke after a fire.
A few minutes later, they stood quietly as tailors resumed their work, none of them saying a word. Jack sat in a chair, holding a cold cloth to his bruised jaw, stealing quick glances at Lancelot. The mood was ruined. Awkward. Cold. The silence said more than words ever could.
Elsewhere in the Human District – Dress Boutique
The women had their own atmosphere, a quieter storm brewing.
Merlin stood stiffly as a dress tailor took her measurements, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"I hope Joshua is doing okay," she said softly.
Jessica tilted her head. "Why are you worried about him?"
Merlin hesitated. "He can be reckless… and Blanchette isn't around to stop him from doing something stupid."
Julia narrowed her eyes. "So it is true, what Raphael said."
Merlin frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Raphael called him a ticking time bomb," Julia said flatly. "And I believe him. I've seen what Joshua's capable of."
Jessica nodded in agreement. "Jack said the same. That Joshua's unstable. I mean, he's been through a lot… but there's something about him. Like he's always on the edge."
Merlin lowered her eyes.
(They all think that about my little brother?)
She smiled sadly.
(It's okay, Joshua. Even if the whole kingdom turns on you… big sister will always be here.)
Meanwhile – Slums of the Capital
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the broken streets of the slums. Trash piled in corners, stray dogs barked in the distance, and the scent of smoke lingered in the air.
Joshua limped alongside Rowdy on his crutch, who was carrying towering stacks of boxes with ease.
"Sorry," Joshua said, gesturing at his broken leg and sling-bound arm. "I'd help if I could…"
Rowdy glanced at him, then at the boxes.
"It's cool. This is nothing." He flexed one arm, revealing thick muscle.
Joshua's eyes widened. "Damn, your arms are crazy!"
He poked Rowdy's bicep in awe. Rowdy blinked, then blushed slightly and turned away.
They continued down the narrow street until they neared an old inn.
As they passed, two towering figures stepped out the door and collided with Joshua, knocking him to the ground.
"Ah, sorry about that, dude," said one of them, a tall werewolf with shaggy white hair, Axel. He reached down to help him up.
Rowdy lazily placed the boxes down nearby and sat on them, yawning.
Joshua's eyes met Axel's. Recognition dawned.
Then the other werewolf, Blake, darted forward and grabbed Joshua by the throat, lifting him off the ground. His blue eyes gleamed with cruelty.
"Well, well. Look who it is, Axel," Blake sneered. "Joshua. Still a cripple, I see."
Axel smirked, his own eyes glowing blue. Claws emerged from his hand. "King Siegfried will pay for Joshua's head."
Joshua gasped for air, his crutch clattering to the ground.
Rowdy sat nearby, watching with disinterest.
(Joshua's pissed. They must've done something awful. But meh… not my business.)
"HOW DARE YOU…!!!" he roared as his eyes flared green, a surge of power rumbling through him. "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACES AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO JAMES!"
But just before Joshua could finish his sentence, Rowdy appeared in a blur, standing between them. He grabbed both werewolves by the face and slammed them backward into the dirt, sending them crashing and tumbling like dolls.
Joshua collapsed to the ground, coughing. The rage in his eyes faded.
Rowdy stood tall, facing the enemies.
"Joshua," he said calmly, "tell me… what did they do to my brother?"
"They… they were the guards who kept James locked up for days. When I saw him, he was broken, malnourished, barely human. They're the ones who dragged him to his execution…"
A silence followed.
Then Joshua felt it, Rowdy's aura changed. The air thickened with a monstrous pressure.
The two werewolves stood, drawing their blades and assuming a fighting stance, eyes glowing blue.
But their confidence melted as they felt the bloodlust radiating from Rowdy.
"I'm gonna kill…" Rowdy muttered, his head lowered, his fists trembling.
"I'm gonna kill… I'm gonna kill…"
Blood dripped from his clenched fists, falling in heavy droplets to the dirt.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!" he screamed, lifting his head.
His eyes glowed a furious blood red. He bit his lip so hard it bled, crimson running down his chin. His tears, too, were red, bloody tears, born from rage so deep it cut through his very soul.
The werewolves froze.
The monster standing before them wasn't a boy anymore.
It was wrath made flesh.